AS Val and VSS Vintorez

The VSS Vintorez was based on the RG-036 prototype that was designed in 1981 by TsNIITochMash. Further development of the VSS Vintorez was carried out in parallel with the AS Val, to provide a suppressed sniper rifle for Spetsnaz undercover or clandestine units and capable of defeating NATO body armour at ranges up to 400 m (440 yd) with as little noise as possible.^[8][9]

The AS Val can trace its origins back to the 1960 U-2 incident, where the Soviets captured US Air Force pilot Gary Powers alongside his equipment, including a suppressed pistol, which impressed them enough to issue a requirement for a similar Soviet weapon. The captured pistol was examined by the TsNIITochMash at Klimovsk by a team of designers that included G. Petropavlov, Yu Krulov, V. Sabelinikov, A. Neougodev, A. Deryagin, A. Khinikadze, I. Kas'yanov, P. Serdyukov, V. Petrov, and V. Levchenko. They pioneered the development of suppressed weapons and specialized ammunition in Russia.^[10]

With increasing tensions between the West and the Soviet Union during the late 1970s and 1980s, and both the United States and the USSR locked in a war between proxies, the KGB and GRU ordered the development of small arms suitable for covert operations around the world and in 1981, weapon designers P. I. Serdyukov and V. F. Krasnikov of TsNIITochMash began working on a combination of a new suppressed rifle and subsonic cartridge.^[11]

The VSS Vintorez and AS Val were both issued to Soviet troops since the late 1980s. Both rifles were used during the First Chechen War in 1994 and the Second Chechen War in 1999, though they remained relatively obscure amongst Western intelligence agencies and similar organisations until the Russians deployed troops to South Ossetia during the Russo-Georgian War in 2008.^[12] During the conflict, both Russian and Georgian forces used the VSS Vintorez.^[13] Both the VSS Vintorez and AS Val were also seen in use by Russian Spetsnaz during the Russo-Ukrainian War.^[14][15]

The VSS Vintorez was used in small numbers by the Security Service of Ukraine's Alpha Group, which was protecting the Ukrainian embassy in Iraq in the 2000s.^[2] By 2014, it was no longer in use by any security forces in Ukraine.^[16] According to Militarnyi, the VSS Vintorez was retired from service due to the lack of ammo.^[17] However, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, significant numbers of VSS Vintorez and AS Val were captured from Russian forces.^[2]

The VSS Vintorez and AS Val uses a modified Kalashnikov action, a gas-operated rotating bolt combined with an integral suppressor and chambered for the 9×39mm subsonic cartridge. The barrel of the VSS Vintorez is optimised for accurate sniper fire paired with the SP-5 (7N8) cartridge firing a heavy 250 grain FMJ bullet at subsonic speed,^[10] whilst the barrel of the AS Val is optimised for sustained automatic fire paired with the SP-6 (7N9) cartridge that features a hardened steel or tungsten tip to defeat body armour.^[8]

Both the VSS Vintorez and AS Val feature a selective fire mechanism and use the same detachable box magazine design. The AS Val is primarily used with 20-round magazines and the VSS Vintorez is normally used in semi-automatic mode with 10-round magazines, whilst fully automatic mode is used for emergency situations, ambushes or attacks against soft-skinned vehicles such as trucks.^[18][4] Both rifles are also compatible with the 30-round SR-3M magazines.^[19] The magazines have a series of horizontal indentations to provide tactile identification and prevent confusion with Kalashnikov-pattern magazines.^[20] The indentations also provide rigidity to the magazine walls.^[21]

The safety selector for the VSS Vintorez and AS Val is similar to Kalashnikov rifles. However, the fire selector that switches the firing mode is located behind the trigger.

Sights

The VSS Vintorez and AS Val can be broken down for transport in a special aluminium briefcase for clandestine operations. A PSO-1-1 (1P43) telescopic sight, a NPSU-3 night sight with a 3.46× magnification, and two magazines are included in the briefcase.^[8][9] According to Janes, the PSO-1-1 has a length of 375 mm (14.8 in) and weights 580 g (20 oz), while the night sight has a length of 340 mm (13 in) and weights 2.1 kg (4.6 lb).^[8] The VSS Vintorez and AS Val can also mount the PSO-1 telescopic sight of the SVD rifle, or the 1PN52-1 night sight. Both rifles also feature a built-in iron sights integrated with the suppressor.^[4][18]

• 
  SR3M (top), AS Val (middle), and VSS Vintorez (bottom)
• 
  AS Val with a 10-round magazine
• 
  VSSM on display

• Armenia: VSS Vintorez were delivered to the Armenian Army by Russia amongst other weaponry.^[25]
• Belarus: VSS Vintorez used by various special forces.^[26]
• Cuba: VSS Vintorez and AS Val are used by the Mobile Brigade of Special Troops.^[27]
• Georgia: VSS Vintorez and AS Val are used by the Georgian Army and police special forces,^[28] some configured with Aimpoint and Kobra red dot sights.^[29]
•  India: VSS Vintorez used by MARCOS.^[30]
• Russia: VSS Vintorez and AS Val are used by Spetsnaz units,^[31] Federal Security Service (FSB)^[32] and OMON.^{[33][34][35][36][37]}
•  Ukraine: VSS Vintorez and AS Val are used by the Ukrainian special forces.^[2]

• Kalashnikov Concern AMB-17
• OTs-14 Groza